Mom was planning her funeral after doctors gave her 2 to 5 years to live. Turns out they sent the wrong DNA

Medical errors can have life-changing consequences, and 43-year-old Georgia woman Cassandra Barksdale learned this the hard way. Last year on March 10, 2025, she went to Kaiser Permanente for a check-up after dealing with fibroids and heavy bleeding. Doctors recommended a biopsy, which revealed she had an aggressive form of cancer, specifically endometrial uterine cancer. She was told she had two to five years to live. But when she went for a follow-up, she found out she never had cancer in the first place. Atlanta News First reported the story on August 6, 2026, and it garnered 7,276 views, 13 likes, and 15 comments.

No cancer on your report

Barksdale did a CT scan and received a referral to Northside Hospital from a nurse. She told AP Archive, "When I did the CT scan, the doctor called me back from Kaiser and stated that no cancer was found on the CT scan. Once I got my first appointment at Northside, I was told by the Northside physician that I have endometrial cancer." Two months later, Barksdale underwent a full hysterectomy on May 15, 2025. But when she came for a check-up on June 2, Barksdale recalled, "He [doctor] said, 'On your pathology report, it shows there's no cancer on there.'"

Wrong tissue sample, wrong DNA

By September 2025, Barksdale received a call from Kaiser Permanente's risk management. She said, "My biopsy that I had done on that day, they sent in the wrong biopsy." Apparently, there was a mix-up between the tissue samples that were sent for testing. They sent someone else's tissue sample, assuming it was hers, and misdiagnosed her. Ever since she received the diagnosis, Barksdale and her sons have been depressed.

She lost faith in the medical field. She told the news outlet, "I even started making funeral plans with them to let them know, you know, if I don’t make it out, this is what I want done." Now, Barksdale and her attorneys are suing Kaiser Permanente. All she wants is accountability because she does not want other people to experience the same unnecessary loss she went through. 

Medical error victims

Kaiser Permanente said in a statement that Barksdale shouldn't have to experience what she did and added, "We realize the impact of this incident and are committed to working with Ms. Barksdale and her counsel to resolve this in the most fair and accountable way we can."

While Barksdale's situation is unfortunate, not every victim of medical error is lucky. A study by David E. Newman-Toker published in BMJ found that 795,000 Americans die or are permanently disabled every year because of misdiagnoses. 371,000 of the misdiagnosed patients pass away, while 424,000 are left with permanent disability. In 2017, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) conducted a survey and found that 21% of Americans have personally experienced a "medical error."

Both women should sue

Viewers encouraged Barksdale and the other woman whose samples were mixed up to sue. @jennahcollings1174 pointed out, "If she was given 5 months 7 months ago. That person is likely dead!" @Lucient3327 wrote, "Her mental health and happiness will improve from it. Normally it takes some massive problem, like cancer, to get approved for a hysterectomy. She should count her blessings."

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